Foot measuring device



June 8, I937. R. P. SCHWARTZ 2 FOOT MEASURING DEVICE Filed March 11, 1936 I 16 jg j E g i IjII] I 0 To M 114% o 1 6 5/0 INVENTOR iawsezzrzazagchmrg BY WW z.3 ATTORNEY.

Patented June 8, 1937 UNITED STATE ATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

Freedom from foot strain is essential for foot comfort in normal walking and standing. The relationship of the muscles forming the calf of the leg (the gastrocnemius and soleus) is a matter of primary importance in obtaining such foot comfort. Under modern conditions, many women have become accustomed to wearing shoes with a heel height greater than one and one-half inches. This frequently results, over a period of time, in an adaptive or acquired .shortening of the above mentioned calf muscles. When the muscles have thus been shortened, it is no longer possible to dorsi-fiex the foot to the normal extent when the leg is extended straight, as in standing or walking. Full or straight extension of the leg at the knee joint has a tendency to tighten the gastrocnemius muscle and, accordingly, the foot condition should be determined when the leg is thus fully extended, rather than when it is bent, as in sitting.

Normal muscle structure should make it possible to dorsi-flex the foot, without strain, to about 110, when the leg is fully extended. To 25 permit the wearing of shoes with no heels, without muscle strain, the muscle structure should be such that the person can dorsi-flex the foot to at least 90 without feeling any strain. But when the calf muscles have become shortened, as above mentioned, then it is frequently impossible for the person to dorsi-fiex the foot as much as 90 (with the leg fully extended) without producing undesirable muscle strain. In order to provide shoes which will be comfortable and will avoid muscle strain when the person is walking or standing, it is highly important to determine the extent to which the foot can be dorsi-flexed, without producing muscle strain, in order to determine the minimum height of heel with which the shoe should be equipped for the avoidance of strain. This is equally true whether the inability to dorsi-flex the foot to the full normal amount is due to acquired or adaptive shortening on account of long continued wearing of high heels, or is, due to malformations or other conditions.

A primary object of the invention is, therefore, to provide, a simple and compact device for 50 determining the minimum heel height which should be provided on shoes for any particular person.

Another object is the provision of such a device which is light in weight, of few parts, easy 55 and inexpensive to manufacture, and which can be readily used effectively by relatively unskilled. persons.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully de- 5 scribed, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a foot measuring device constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end view thereof;

Fig. 4. is a view showing the device as used in measuring a foot requiring one shoe heel height, and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the measuring of a foot requiring a greater shoe heel height.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicated the same parts.

The device comprises a bar or member having a relatively long arm ll! of a substantial width to lie against the back or posterior aspect of the leg, and long enough to extend up at least to the calf of the leg, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. In order to assist in maintaining the position of this bar I0 along the back of the leg during the measuring operation, the bar may be provided with lateral extensions, projections, arms, or brackets l I and I2, curved outwardly and upwardly as shown, the member ll lying, for example, against one side of the persons leg adjacent the ankle and the member l2 lying, for example, against the opposite side of the persons leg adjacent the call.

The device further includes an arm or member I l for contact with the sole of the foot adjacent the toes thereof, or as least as far forwardly as the ball of the foot or the little toe. This member It may conveniently be made integrally of the same wide flat strip of metal as the member l0, so that it is immovable or in fixed position relatively to the member H], at a definite predetermined angle thereto. Conveniently. the outer end of the member I4 is at to the member I0, as shown in Fig. 1, while the inner end of the member l4 closer to the member i0 is at a slightly greater angle to the member I0, say, 5 for example, about or as shown.

A member l6, slidably mounted on the member Ill, projects therefrom in the same direction as the member I l but to a lesser extent, for contact with the heel portion of the sole of the per- 55 sons foot, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This member It is slidable back and forth along the member I B to difierent extents toward and away from the member It. Cooperating graduations on the 5 member ID and the member [6 are provided, such as the scale markings i8 on the member it and the line or index point IS on the slide H5, conveniently formed by an edge of a portion of the member I6.

10 In use, the person whose foot is to be measured usually sits down and is asked to extend the leg straight substantially horizontally, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. In such straight position of the leg, the calf muscles are tensioned to the same extent as when standing or walking. Then the bar I0 is applied to the posterior aspect of the leg and moved upwardly until the member 14 contacts with the sole of the foot adjacent the ball of the foot or the little toe. The person is asked to dorsi-flex his foot to the maximum extent possible without producing unpleasant muscle strain. If, when this is done, the heel comes 3 down into contact with the bar 54,. it is known that the foot can dorsi-flex to at least 90, and,

'2 therefore, it is possible for this person to wear shoes with no heels at all, if desired. On the other hand, if the maximum dorsi-flexed position of the foot leaves the heel still some distance from the bar l4, as in Figs/4 and 5, then the member I6 is moved upwardly along the bar It] until it is in contact with the heel, as in Figs. 4 and 5, and is held in position by the fingers until the device is removed from the leg. Then the scale markings I8 are read to determine the position of the movable member it relatively to the .45 heels.

' The graduations 18 shown in Fig. 2 are graduated toread directly in terms of inches and fractions of inches of heel height required, but

obviously any other suitable graduations, in any known or predetermined units of measurement,

may be employed.

It will be apparent that the member for contacting with the toe portion of the sole of the foot could be movable relatively to the bar it), and

05 the member for contacting with the heel portion of the sole of the foot could be fixed relatively to the bar it, such a reversal being obvious to those 'skilled in the art, but it is ordinarily preferred to make the device in the form above described, with the member for contacting with the toe portion a fixed member, and with the member for contacting with the heel portion a movable member.

' While one embodiment .of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive idea maybe carried out in a number of Ways. This application is, therefore, not to ,be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to cover all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A relatively light, portable foot measuring device, for measuring a foot when the leg is 7 5 extended approximately horizontally without weight thereon, comprising a member for contacting with and extending a substantial distance along the lower portion of a persons leg when the leg is extended substantially straight, a laterally extending arm in fixed position relatively to said member for contact with the under side of the forward part of the foot, and means freely slidable along said member for contact with the bottom of the heel of the foot to measure various positions thereof relatively to said member and arm.

2. A relatively light, portable foot measuring device for measuring a foot when the leg is extended approximately horizontally without weight thereon, comprising a member for extending a substantial distance along and in contact with the posterior aspect of the leg, a lateral extension on said member for contact with the side of the leg, and an arm extending laterally from said member at an angle to contact with the sole of the foot both at the heel portion thereof and at the forward portion thereof when the foot is dorsi-flexed to a predetermined angular extent, to test the ability of the foot to dorsiflex to said extent.

3. A portable foot measuring device for easy application to a foot on a leg extending approximately horizontally, comprising a member for extending a substantial distance along and in contact with the posterior aspect of the leg, a lateral extension on said member for contact with the side of the leg, an arm extending laterally from said member at an angle to contact with the sole of the foot both at the heel portion thereof and at the forward portion thereof when the foot is dorsiflexed to a predetermined angular extent, to test the ability of the foot to dorsi-fiex to said extent, and movable means for contact with said heel portion of the sole when said arm is in contact with the forward portion of the sole and when said foot is dorsi-flexed to a less extent than said predetermined angular extent.

4. A foot measuring device comprising a relatively light, readily portable bar for application to the foot and lower part of a leg positioned approximately horizontally, said bar having two arms arranged substantially at right angles to each other, one of said arms being substantially longer than the other and long enough to reach from the sole of a persons foot up the back of the persons leg at least as far as the calf thereof, the shorter arm being long enough to extend from the longer arm, when so positioned on the persons leg, at least as far as the ball of the foot, means on said longer arm for engaging the Y minimum height of shoe heel which should be.

worn by a person to avoid muscle strain, said device comprising means for extending a substantial distance along the lower leg when the leg is extended substantially straight in an approximately horizontal position, means for contacting with the sole of the persons foot adjacent the toes, other means for contacting with the sole of the persons foot at the heel portion thereof when the foot is dorsi-flexed to a point just short of that producing muscle strain, said two means for contacting with the sole being movable relatively to each other, and scale means for reading the position of one of said sole contacting means relatively to the other thereof, to determine the minimum height of shoe heel which should be worn.

6. A portable device for determining the minimum height of a shoe heel which should be Worn by a person to avoid muscle strain, said device comprising a relatively light, generally L-shaped rigid bar having two arms of unequal length, the longer of said arms being sufficiently long to extend from the heel of a foot along the posterior aspect of the leg at least as far as the calf of the leg, the shorter of said arms being sufficiently long to extend from said longer arm along the sole of the foot at least as far as the ball of the foot, said L-shaped bar being intended to be held by hand and manually applied to the 20 foot when the leg is positioned approximately horizontally so that the foot does not carry a load,

a member slidable along said longer arm of said bar and projecting laterally therefrom for contact with the heel of the foot to be measured when the ball of such foot is in contact with said shorter arm, and scale means for reading the position of said laterally extending member in terms of predetermined units of measurement, to determine the proper minimum heel height.

7. A construction according to claim 6 further including a laterally extending member secured to said longer arm of said bar near the end thereof remote from said shorter arm, to contact with one side of the leg to which the device is applied near the calf of such leg, and another laterally extending member secured to said longer arm of said bar intermediate its length to contact with the opposite side of such leg adjacent the ankle thereof, to assist in positioning said device upon the leg.

RUSSELL PLATO SCHWARTZ. 

